Calendar delivery mechanism of carding engines



March 17, 1953 F. TWEEDALE CALENDER DELIVERY MECHANISM OF CARDING ENGINES Filed De cxi l Patented Mar. 17, 1953 CALENDAR DELIVERY MECHANISM OF CARDING ENGINES Frank Tweedale, Clarsfield, Oldham, England, assignor to Platt Brothers & Company Limited,

Oldham, England Application December 24, 1947, Serial No. 793,603 In Great Britain January 4, 1947 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the loading of roller mechanisms, for example, of calender delivery mechanisms of textile carding engines.

It is known resiliently to load the rollers of calenders or other roller mechanisms to increase the pressure between said rollers but any increase of pressure on the hearings or the necks or trunnions of one roller results in a corresponding increase in stress in the bearings of the other roller, and a reductionin the life of the bearings. Consequently, the bearings have to be so constructed that they will withstand the maximum amount of pressure reached under working conditions.

It is further known that if the rollers of calender delivery mechanisms of textile carding engines are loaded, the issuing sliver is proportionately compressed or condensed, and a considerably longer length of sliver can be deposited in each sliver-can with a resultant reduction in the work of piecing-up of said sliver in the carding and succeeding drafting and other operations. The advantages of reducing the piecingup operations and the decrease in the number of cans required to be handled will be well appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The loading of the top calender roll of calender delivery mechanisms is not normally resorted to by reason that the top roller must be so mounted in its bearings that it can be easily and quickly removed when required, whilst the loading devices must not inconvenience an operative when piecing-up'of the sliver is to be efiected.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective means for loading, for example, the calender rollers of calender delivery mechanisms, whereby a considerably increased length of sliver can be delivered to and stored in each sliver-can, but which loading means can be easily and quickly removed when it is necessary to remove the top calender roller.

According to the invention, means for loading the rollers of calender delivery mechanisms and the like comprises a detachable clamp-like member having arms adapted to engage the necks or shafts or other parts of said rollers and including means for urging the said arms resiliently towards each other whereby the calendering pressure may be increased independently of the load on the bearings of the rollers.

The invention may be characterized in that the clamp is made in halves resiliently interconnected together, each half having an arm with a half-bearing adapted to engage the neck or shaft or other part of one of the rollers; or

further characterised in that the said halves have main cylindrical portions which are slidably mounted in axial alignment; or in that the said cylindrical portions are slidably mounted.

on a common rod and in that the means for urging the portions closer together comprises a spring and cam means on said rod for effecting and releasing the spring pressure; or by means for adjusting the load of the spring to adjust the calendering pressure.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a clamp constructed in accordance with the invention and and illustrated in the drawings, the calender rollers [E], II of the calender delivery mechanism for a textile carding engine are constructed and,

arranged according to known practice, and are journalled in brackets I2 at the delivery end of' the carding engine, the lower driven roller II being mounted in the fixed bearings, whilst the upper roller is mounted in bearings adapted to,

slide in an open vertical slot I3 in the calender brackets. This arrangement enables the top roller III to be easily and quickly removed when required. 7

The means for loading the rollers comprises a detachable clamp-like member adapted to engage.

the shafts I4, I5 thereof, and in the application referred to, the clamp is used in pairs, one at each end of the rollers III, II, and each clamp comprises a pair of axially bored cylindrical castings I6, I! located on a vertically disposed rod I8. The bored holes I 6a, Ila of the cylindrical castings are tapered for a purpose to be later referred to. Each casting has an arm I9 extending laterally therefrom and cast in situ, the arm of the upper casting I6 being adapted to rest on the upper periphery of that portion of the upper roller shaft I4 extending between, the roller and its bearing, whilst the arm of the lower casting engages the lower periphery of the.

lower roller shaft I5. Where the arms make contactwith their respective shafts, they are provided with oil-impregnated bearing pads 20 whose bearing surfaces are shaped to the con-,;

tour of the shafts, said bearing pads being fixed 1n rebates 2| by screws 22. The bored upper end of the upper casting is counterbored at 23 of the counter-bore is a spiral spring 21 whose function is to ensure that the loading on the rollers 10, H is resilient. Therod 18: extends below the lower end of the lower casting H, and: a flat 28 is milled thereon sothat it can pivotally engage the bifurcated end of a small lever 29' having a cam portion 30 adaptedto'engagethe" lower casting when said lever 29 is turned into alignment with the rod 18 to load the'spring 21;

The lever 29 also has a handle extension 3i which can be gripped by finger and thumb-when turning same into the alignment with rod I8; as. shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, or when turning same to the position shown in chain lines in Fig; l to release the load on the spring.

During assembly of the'clamp, the uppjerand lower castings I6, I! are located on the rod 18 with a; space between their abutting ends, such space bein slightly in excess of the adjustment of the castings along the rod when the small lever 29 is turned to load the spring,

In the calender mechanism herein described, the fibrous fleece combed from the doffer of the carding engine is drawn through the trumpet 32 and'condensed or compressed by the action of the rollers 10; H which are inter-connected by gear wh'eels3 3, 3 mounted on the roller shafts I' l, Hi; the" shaft 15 being rotated by gear'wheel 35 driven from any suitable source of power.

In operation, the clamps are placed in position, one at each end of the rollers II], II with the arms 19' lightly engaging their respective shafts, and with the small lever 29 turned into a position at right-angles to the rod l8, so that the spring 21 is unloaded. When the lever is turned int'oialignmentwith' the rod; the cam face 30; acting on the-lower end of thelower casting I 1; will-cause the castings to approach each other to apply resilient pressure to the roller" shafts if, 15 with consequent increase of pressure at the nip of the rollers, thus condensing" the sliver passing. therethrough' to the required extent.

adjustment of calendering pressure can be easily effected byadjustment of the nut 25.

When it is required to remove the loading clamp, it is a' simple operation to turn the lever position at right-angles'to the rod'when the tapered'holes 16a, llaallow of sufiicient rocking l'9' from the shafts l4, l; and the clamp can then'be lifted away.

The clamp is easily and quickly applied, or removed when necessary to lift outthe top calender roller It). When in position, it sits snugly on the calender roller'shafts without ob-' structing the operation of piecing-upof the movement ofthe' castings l8, lTto' free thearms' The invention is not limited to the loading of the rollers of the calender delivery mechanisms of carding engines, but may be used in any 4 other roller mechanisms where resilient loading of rollers is desirable.

Obviously, the clamps could be used singly in those cases where the two roller shafts each have two roller surfaces mounted thereon, and in this case a single clamp couldlbe'. lo'c'a'tedibetween the said surfaces.

Further, in cases where the rollers are of steel or other metal, the clamps could apply pressure to theroller surfaces instead of to the necks, shafts or reduced portions thereof.

I declare that what I claim is:

1 Means for loading the rollers of calender delivery;- mechani'sms and the like, comprising a detachable clamp-like member consisting of a headed rod, apairiofspaced, cylindrical portions 7 one of saidcylindrical portions, and cam means associated with said rod adapted to apply pressure 'to the other'cylindrical portion so as to load the spring to draw the said portions towards each other and to apply pressure to the rollers;

whereby the calendering pressure may be' in-- creased independently of the load on the bearings of the rollers.

2. Means for loading theroll'ers of calender delivery mechanisms and thelike, comprising a detachable clamp-like member consisting of a headed rod, a pair of'spaced, tubular portions" slidably mounted on said headed rod and having long tapered openings to permit limited rocking movement on the rod,

adapted to engage a part of one of said rollers, adjustable resilient means: comprising a spring intermediate the head of said rod and one of said tubular portions, and means associated with said rod adapted to apply pressure to the other tubular portion so as to load the spring to draw" the said portions towards each other and to apply pressure to the rollers, whereby the calendering pressure may be increased independently" ofithe' load on the bearings of therollers.

3. Means" for loading the rollers of calender delivery mechanisms and the like as set'forth in c aim 1, the head of said rodbeing formed by an adjustable nut threadedonone end of the rod.

4. Means for loading the rollers of calender delivery mechanisms and the like as set forth" in claim 2, said pressure-applying means comprising a cam device carried on the end of the rod remote from its'head.

FRANK TWEEDALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 2,153,118 Harris Apr; 4, 1939. 2,300,188 West Oct. 27, I942 2;322,711 Gwaltney' June 22, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 148,668 Great Britain Aug. 5, 1920 375,322 GreatBritain June 20,v 1922. 563,286 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1944- I g each portion being fashioned with a laterally projecting extension 

